30-Yard Challenge

[EPG]

Leaderboard Submissions:

Date: 7/7/25
Target: 30-Challenge 197 15X
Rifle: FX Crown .22 Synthetic (600mm superlight)
Pellet: FX 18.13g @ 885fps
Scope: Athlon Argos 10-40 SFP @ 32X

This is a brand new Crown (I'll do another post on the story behind it). This target was the 9th through 38th pellet (counting the 5 sighters shown) ever shot through the rifle - I kid you not!

Date: 7/7/25
Target 40-Masters 198 10X
Rifle: FX Crown .22 Synthetic (600mm SL)
Pellet: FX 18.13g @ 906fps (PW=17 - one click up from previous 30-Challenge card)
Scope: Athlon Argos 10-40 SFP @ 38X

I just shook my head that this thing shot a 197 30-Challenge and a 198 40-Masters "straight out of the box" - made Becky take my picture with the rifle and cards. In my next post, I'll explain what "straight out of the box" is for EPG, lol.

 

[EPG]

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New FX Crown Mk2 - Why it shot so well "out of the box"​

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Thought you guys might enjoy this progression...

So I bought a new FX Crown Mk2 .22 caliber - I got a great deal on it. It's what is called an FX Crown "base" - no stock or moderator supplied.

When it arrived from Texas, the seller included a nice case & magazine. It had the new 23 position power wheel. It also had a 600mm barrel (the seller advertised 500mm). That works out great because I already had 380, 500 and 700mm .22 Crown barrels - now I have a 600mm to complete my .22 barrel collection, lol.

The rifle was leaking air when it arrived. That worked out great because it gave me an excuse to tear it apart before shooting it. The leak was nothing - the tank pressure gauge was very loose - tightened and leak gone.

So, before ever taking a shot, I polished the barrel leade, the hammer, the hammer spring, the trigger sear, the trigger pac man, etc.

I put it all back together and slapped on a cheap $60 FX hollow moderator and a FX Crown synthetic stock that I had taken off my now Blue laminate Crown.

I set the turrets for about optical center on the scope, the power wheel on 1 and set up a pizza box lid at 30 yards. I hit it with the 1st shot - registered 796 on the FX chrono. I bumped up the power wheel for the next couple of shots - got to 875fps on shot 3. Then I adjusted the scope and hit my tiny white dot target - shot 4 more shots making it a 5-shot group... dang about 1/4" immediately.

Then I set up the 30-Challenge target and shot 197... "straight out of the box" , lol.

Check out my pictures. I'm pretty certain that no competition shooters are using "straight out of the box" rifles. If they don't work on their own rifles (like me) then they send them to a "tuner" who tears them down like I do and sets them up properly. I can't imagine using a trigger with all that black anodizing rough finish on all the sear faces. Barrels always need to be cleaned, polished, tweaked.

But I have to say - the Crown continues to impress.... even with my prep work... shooting a 198 40-Masters with about the 40th through 60th pellets ever down the barrel is freaking impressive. FX triggers still suck - just look at that thing - not worthy of the rifle.

So now I've got three Crowns... probably will set up as .177, .22 and .25

-Ed